Cross-account secret access via incomplete AWS cache keys
Published Oct 23, 2025 · Updated Oct 23, 2025
Authentication bypass in the AWS Auth method in HashiCorp Vault and Vault Enterprise allows remote authenticated users to obtain Vault tokens. The IAM and EC2 client caches key entries by region and STS role without including the AWS account ID, so a client created for one account can satisfy another account's lookup. An active session plus a bound-principal wildcard or colliding cross-account role is required, enabling secret access or privilege escalation under the issued token's policies.
Summary
What happened
Authentication bypass in the AWS Auth method in HashiCorp Vault and Vault Enterprise allows remote authenticated users to obtain Vault tokens. The IAM and EC2 client caches key entries by region and STS role without including the AWS account ID, so a client created for one account can satisfy another account's lookup. An active session plus a bound-principal wildcard or colliding cross-account role is required, enabling secret access or privilege escalation under the issued token's policies.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-11621
- Published
- Oct 23, 2025
- Updated
- Oct 23, 2025
- Vendor
- HashiCorp
- Product
- Vault
- Classifications
- CWE-288, T1078.004
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Oct 23, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Oct 23, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=0.6.0 <1.21.0
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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